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FTJ Annual Report – Philanthropy

By Christine Hall

Philanthropic investments made by generous financial supporters help Franke Tobey Jones fully uphold our mission to enrich and extend the quality of life for seniors in our community. We are so grateful to all of our donors for making a difference in the lives of local seniors, both on campus and off campus.

Generous volunteers help us carry out our work each day through their precious gifts of time. In 2017, 145 volunteers served nearly 15,000 hours at Franke Tobey Jones and our Point Defiance~Ruston Senior Center.

Philanthropic support of our on-campus charitable programs and capital project totaled $557,024 and an additional $88,565 was contributed to off-set our community outreach programs. These investments made the following possible in 2017:

Charitable Subsidy
We confidentially distributed over $400,000 in subsidy to FTJ residents in financial need. Subsidy allows our residents to remain in their home at Franke Tobey Jones, among friends and familiar caregivers, during a usually challenging time of health crisis. Franke Tobey Jones never wants to deny care to a resident because he or she is unable to pay. Therefore, continuing to build the Charitable Subsidy Endowment is a focus of our organization and ultimately, a benefit to seniors in our local community, who we have been serving since 1924.

Wellness Program
Wellness members participated in 1,835 classes to stay fit and healthy. Studies indicate that older adults who are active and socially engaged maintain their independence, improve physical and mental functioning, stay healthier and live happier more complete lives. Therefore, Franke Tobey Jones offers a multi-faceted Wellness Program that improves quality of life – free to residents and at low-cost to any community senior 55+.

Employee Scholarships
Five team members received scholarships in 2017 to pursue further education.

Senior University
We offered 321 programs for about 400 participants engaging in lifelong learning in 2017. Senior University is an educational and cultural program designed for seniors, who build skills, explore new subjects and enjoy the learning process with others. Lecturers and instructors are experts in their fields hailing from local colleges and universities, businesses, nonprofits and cultural organizations. Most classes are offered free of charge as our outreach to the Tacoma-Pierce County community. Studies indicate lifelong learning has positive benefits for overall health and quality of life.

Point-Defiance~Ruston Senior Center
The Center welcomed 729 participants per month with 2,090 program participants in 2017 for programs and activities as well as for nutritious meals. The Center continues to be a home-away-from-home for local seniors each year.

Where Need is Greatest
Six projects were funded in 2017 to enhance the FTJ community, from new books for the resident libraries to life stations in memory care.

Capital Project
FTJ launched its first capital campaign to help support a new state of the art health care and memory care building, which is being built during Phase I of our campus expansion. The Campaign for Franke Tobey Jones: Historic past; Innovative future launched in fall 2017, and early supporters have set the pace for a successful campaign. We are so grateful for the enthusiasm surrounding this project.

Without our generous supporters, the mission impact described above would not be possible. In 2018, we will continue to put your dollars to work in a meaningful way each and every day. Thank you for your ongoing investment in our employees, residents and seniors in the local community! Together we WILL make a difference!